Hydrocarbon or hydrofluorocarbon gases are used for various applications such as refrigeration, air conditioning and aerosol propellancy to name a few. Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) gases have very high Global Warming Potentials (GWPs) and usage of HFCs in aerosols is mostly limited to products which require non-flammable or non-toxic propellants. Many of these applications have already been targeted for phase-out within the European Union. For example, HFC-filled novelty aerosols, as exemplified by party horns or supporter horns, are to be prohibited in July 2009. Other specialised uses for HFCs include dusters for non-contact cleaning of debris from the surfaces of, for example, imaging or medical equipment, or sensitive materials, such as film and data storage media. Hydrocarbons are also used for releasing a product such as shaving gels or creams or generating a sound such as with noise makers or signalling horns. For marine and industrial safety, signalling horns are filled with hydrofluorocarbon propellant. Items containing hydrocarbon gases are prevalent in aerosol propellants. HFCs are still used in niche sectors of the market, such as in the industrial sector.
In use, however, these items can release undesirable and/or environmentally damaging vapors. To minimize such vapors, governmental authorities are considering restriction in the use of hydrocarbon and hydrofluorocarbon gases. Even where the propellant is contained in an aerosol can, and is not released to the environment during use, when the used can is disposed and the containment ruptured or oxidized, the propellant will be ultimately released to atmosphere. Further concerns of the hydrocarbons are that they are highly flammable, volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Hence, items employing hydrocarbon gas may be inherently dangerous, the inappropriate use of which can result in serious accidents and fatalities.